{"id":1453,"date":"2020-07-01T09:00:39","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T16:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=1453"},"modified":"2024-07-23T11:31:04","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T18:31:04","slug":"executive-master-public-policy-bob-horton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/executive-master-public-policy-bob-horton\/","title":{"rendered":"Fire chief finds his fit in Oregon State&#8217;s online Executive Master of Public Policy program"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intrinsic-container intrinsic-container-16x9\" style=\"margin-bottom: 20px;\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"744\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jl5f24nyfg8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s human nature for someone to celebrate the start of a new project and the completion of one. We do it all the time at Oregon State University Ecampus.<\/p>\n<p>We applaud our new students as they embark on their academic journeys, and we hold a big celebration when they graduate.<\/p>\n<p>Bob Horton understands why those start-and-finish moments are special, but he subscribes to a different educational philosophy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSomewhere between enrollment and graduation is the education, and that is the most important part,\u201d says Horton, a student in <a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/online-degrees\/graduate\/master-public-policy\/\">Oregon State\u2019s online Executive Master of Public Policy program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s right, of course. The exciting, first-day-of-school butterflies don\u2019t mean much and the joy of graduation day never happens if students don\u2019t excel in the middle.<\/p>\n<p>Horton has made a habit of excelling in the middle of his many academic journeys over the years \u2013 and now he\u2019s doing the same online with Oregon State Ecampus. He revels in the rigorous Executive Master of Public Policy coursework, embraces the program\u2019s supportive learning community and appreciates that he can immediately apply what he learns to his career and life.<\/p>\n<p>The EMPP program is designed for mid-career professionals like Horton, who has worked as a firefighter and in the fire service for 20 years. The coursework aims to help students strengthen their foothold as policy practitioners \u2013 and give them career mobility \u2013 by focusing on leadership in the public and nonprofit sectors.<\/p>\n<p>In short, Oregon State offered Horton everything he wanted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have high standards for which academic institutions I want to be a part of,\u201d says Horton, who serves as the chief and CEO of Fire District 3 in southern Oregon. \u201cI wanted a program that had a research focus, was academically rigorous and had a strong reputation for online learning.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1455\" class=\"wp-caption wp-caption-250 alignright\" style=\"width: 250px\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1455\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/bob-horton-executive-master-public-policy-outdoor.jpg?resize=250%2C334&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Executive Master of Public Policy student Bob Horton stands on the back of a fire truck during a parade in White City, Oregon.\" width=\"250\" height=\"334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/bob-horton-executive-master-public-policy-outdoor.jpg?w=320&amp;ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/bob-horton-executive-master-public-policy-outdoor.jpg?resize=240%2C320&amp;ssl=1 240w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bob Horton says OSU&#8217;s EMPP program can help students change careers or, in his case, be better suited for success in his current job.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>He says that Oregon State has thus far lived up to his high standards in a variety of ways. That stands to positively influence not only his long-term career goals but also the communities he serves.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some of the other benefits of the Executive Master of Public Policy program according to Horton.<\/p>\n<h2>Faculty are eager to interact with and support students<\/h2>\n<p>Even before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily forced all instruction to be conducted online, Oregon State\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/liberalarts.oregonstate.edu\/spp\">School of Public Policy<\/a> hosted regular online meetings for Ecampus students to interact with classmates and faculty.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s one example of how Oregon State \u201cmakes a deliberate effort to provide inclusion opportunities for their distance learners.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt absolutely makes the experience more personal. It is palpable how committed the School of Public Policy faculty are to student success,\u201d Horton says. \u201cIf I have felt stuck on a concept, needed feedback on an assignment or just wanted mentorship on how to best apply what I am learning into practice, the professors have been there to help out.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>EMPP students are set up for career growth<\/h2>\n<p>Horton and his classmates are working professionals with collective experience in a variety of industries across the nation. What they have in common is a desire to gain new knowledge and add to their skill sets in order to create more career opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe EMPP degree is giving me the tools to not only be a consumer of the public policy literature, but also to contribute to the literature by conducting my own peer-reviewed research,\u201d says Horton, who holds public administration bachelor\u2019s (Nevada State College) and master\u2019s (University of Oklahoma) degrees.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome students in the program will seek new jobs or even new careers. Others, like me, are just looking to be better suited to be successful in the positions we currently hold.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>He can apply the coursework directly to his day job<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cEvery step of the core curriculum is applicable to the work I am doing for my community,\u201d Horton says. \u201cAs a government official, we are influencing or implementing public policy daily. Being able to grab from the (EMPP) literature and theories and apply them into practice is the most exciting part being a practitioner committed to graduate education.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While taking Applied Research Methods with assistant professor Ana K. Spalding last spring, Horton and his peers conducted real-time research with a client that culminated in a report and presentation. Horton worked with partners in his local area to evaluate a program that was used in the community\u2019s response to COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt does not get any more practical and timely than that,\u201d he says now.<\/p>\n<h2>The expertise of program faculty is as good as it gets<\/h2>\n<p>Horton speaks with confidence on all topics related to public policy, but he has a harder time finding the right words when asked how the Executive Master of Public Policy program has benefited him most thus far.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, he lauded the interdisciplinary expertise of faculty in the School of Public Policy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are not many programs where you could easily get such exposure to experts in sociology, economics, political science and other key disciplines,\u201d he says. \u201cI feel like each professor treats all the students as their own, whether you have taken their specific course or not.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Discover how Oregon State&#8217;s online Executive Master of Public Policy degree can boost your career.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"rfi-button\" class=\"button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/contact\/form\/\">Request information<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\"><\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minute read<\/span><\/span>Bob Horton, a student in Oregon State&#8217;s Executive Master of Public Policy program, says OSU Ecampus \u201cmakes a deliberate effort to provide inclusion opportunities\u201d for online students. \u201cIt absolutely makes the experience more personal. It is palpable how committed the School of Public Policy faculty are to student success.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,6,3,677,8],"tags":[94,25,24],"class_list":["post-1453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-features","category-students-and-alumni","category-students","tag-master-of-public-policy","tag-online-education","tag-online-learning"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Bob-Horton-EMPP-2-zoom.jpg?fit=744%2C496&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-nr","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1512,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/master-public-policy-online-consedine\/","url_meta":{"origin":1453,"position":0},"title":"Oregon State Everywhere: Public policy rekindles Army vet&#8217;s passion for service","author":"Meagan Consedine","date":"August 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\"I was motivated to persist in my studies and motivated to graduate by a desire to get back into the workforce and serve in a capacity developing meaningful policies to address real-world problems. I know Oregon State program provided me the tools to do this.\" \u2013 Meagan Consedine, online Master\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo of Meagan Consedine, a student in Oregon State University's Master of Public Policy online program.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Meagan-Consedine_MPP-200622-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Meagan-Consedine_MPP-200622-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Meagan-Consedine_MPP-200622-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Meagan-Consedine_MPP-200622-744x478.jpg?fit=744%2C478&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1083,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/oregon-state-public-policy-online-degree\/","url_meta":{"origin":1453,"position":1},"title":"Oregon State University unveils 100% online public policy bachelor\u2019s program","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"November 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"In fall 2019, Oregon State will launch a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy program to be delivered 100 percent online. The program will train the next generation of public policy professionals to tackle complex challenges including climate change, demographic and population shifts, rapid technology development and a global economy.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Archives&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Public policy bachelor's program online at Oregon State University","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/public-policy-bs-flags.jpg?fit=744%2C320&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/public-policy-bs-flags.jpg?fit=744%2C320&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/public-policy-bs-flags.jpg?fit=744%2C320&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/public-policy-bs-flags.jpg?fit=744%2C320&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1298,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-master-of-public-health-student\/","url_meta":{"origin":1453,"position":2},"title":"Online Master of Public Health program helps health systems administrator advance his career","author":"Becky Barrett","date":"December 3, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Zach Harris can see himself working in the executive-level management of a health care system. 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To make it to the C-suite, Harris is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree online from Oregon State University\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;All Stories&quot;","block_context":{"text":"All Stories","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/all\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Zachary Harris, Master of Public Health student with Oregon State Ecampus, stands in front of the Queen\u2019s Physicians Office Building II in Honolulu, Hawaii.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/zachary-harris-master-public-health.jpg?fit=744%2C483&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/zachary-harris-master-public-health.jpg?fit=744%2C483&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/zachary-harris-master-public-health.jpg?fit=744%2C483&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/zachary-harris-master-public-health.jpg?fit=744%2C483&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2043,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-public-policy-masters-pennon\/","url_meta":{"origin":1453,"position":3},"title":"Oregon State online public policy grad working for \u2018an entire generation of children\u2019","author":"Erin J. 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I wouldn't have complemented my work in OSU Extension Family and Community Health with classes that taught me the science behind program decisions. 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